


Healing

by Halfling



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-19
Updated: 2012-05-19
Packaged: 2017-11-05 15:33:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/408071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Halfling/pseuds/Halfling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Balthazar is back from the dead to comfort a shaken Castiel. (takes place after 7x22 with spoilers for that episode)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Healing

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted at my [tumblr](halfhalfling.tumblr.com).

"Is the water too hot?" Balthazar asked, concern written over his face.

"The heat?" Castiel looked confused for a moment, "Oh, yes. No. I like it." He gave Balthazar a half-smile from where he was sitting in the tub. When he looked down at the water again, it was replaced by a look of panic. "The water is red. Balthazar, why is the water red?"

"Shh it's okay, Cassie." Balthazar kneeled by the side of the tub and rubbed a comforting hand in circles on Castiel's back. "Just a little blood. The water will wash it all away."

Castiel perked up at the mention of blood and looked at Balthazar. "Are you hurt?"

Balthazar looked confused for a moment, then only sad. "No, Cassie. Hester gave you a bit of a bloody nose, that's all. Here, let me get that for you." He grabbed a washcloth from the shelf above the bath and dipped it in the water before carefully wiping the offended red streaks from Castiel's face.

"Hester. She's dead." Castiel said after Balthazar was done. There was no emotion in his voice, but that wasn't unusual.

Balthazar rolled his shoulders, unsure if he should tell him the truth or not. In the end, though, he couldn't lie to Castiel. Never again. "Yes," he said gently.

"Because of me." Castiel stared at the bubbles popping in the water as if he were responsible for their deaths too.

"Because a demon killed her," Balthazar said firmly.

"If she hadn't, I would have let her kill me. It is everything I deserve."

"No, Cas. She was just angry, and confused. All the angels left are, but it isn't your fault."

Castiel shook his head. "People assume the worker bees would be jealous of the queen bee. The others all dote on her, she gets to mate when she wants, and she never has to leave the hive. But they aren't. Because they know the truth. The queen is the loneliest of them all. All she can do is lay eggs, and if she ever stops, the others will just replace her. And replacement for her means death."

"No one is going to kill you, Cassie," Balthazar said, leaning closer and stroking Castiel's hair.

Castiel looked up at Balthazar suddenly. "You aren't wet. Why aren't you wet?"

"Because you're hurt." Balthazar lowered his voice. "And you're not yourself."

"But how can I be myself without you?" Castiel asked accusingly.

Balthazar looked away, doing his best to mask his emotions. "You don't need little old me for that." His voice was barely above a whisper now.

"Yes I do." Castiel glared at him. "You never made me take a bath alone before." His face softened again. "Please, Balthazar."

"Cassie, I don't--"

"Please." Castiel reached out with a very wet hand to grab Balthazar's arm. "I want to feel what it was like, before."

Balthazar stared into Castiel's big eyes and knew he could never say no to him. He stood up and took off his jacket, followed by his shirt. Castiel looked away suddenly, and Balthazar finished undressing. Castiel made room behind him for Balthazar to climb in, and once he did Balthazar wrapped his arms around Castiel like he used to.

For a while, they just sat there, wrapped in the warmth of the water and each other. Finally, Castiel spoke up. "It left a scar."

Balthazar hugged Castiel tighter. "It's only a little thing."

"I killed you."

"It was only a little thing."

"But I--"

Balthazar shushed him with a finger to his lips and kissed him on the back of his neck. "It doesn't matter now, Cassie. I'm here, you're here. We're going to make you better now."

"I don't want to think about it anymore."

"You don't have to. That's why we're here."

Castiel looked around the bathroom. It was the place he and Balthazar used to meet up for clandestine meetings when he learned Balthazar was hiding out on Earth with a stash of stolen weapons. Before Balthazar learned what Castiel was really up to, and Castiel killed him when Balthazar tried to stop him.

"I want to go back to the way it was before," Castiel said quietly.

"I know. If there is a way, we'll find it."

"Together?" Castiel turned so he could look Balthazar in the eye.

"Together," Balthazar replied, and pressed his lips gently to Castiel's.

"Could you..." Castiel looked away, his face blushing pink. "Would you, touch me? Like before?"

Balthazar's lips twitched in a faint smile. "You're going to have to be a little more specific than that, love."

Castiel leaned back into Balthazar's chest and guided Balthazar's hand to his arousal.

"Are you sure?" Balthazar breathed into Castiel's neck.

"Please."

It was all the permission Balthazar needed. He wrapped a fist around Castiel's length and stroked slowly, marveling at how fast he became hard. Castiel dropped his head back on Balthazar's shoulder with another whispered "please," gripping the sides of the tub with white knuckles.

Balthazar kept the pace slow until Castiel began to whine and beg, "Faster, faster, please." He was happy to oblige.

When he was close, Castiel began to whimper. "Balthazar, I--"

"I know," Balthazar said quietly. Then louder, he said "Let it happen. Come for me."

At Balthazar's command, Castiel fell over the edge of pleasure and into the abyss. What he saw wasn't Heaven, he decided, but something better.

When he came back to his senses, he realized the water was quickly cooling. Balthazar's strong arms and legs wrapped around him were the only things keeping him warm. "Balthazar?"

"Hm?" came his sleepy response.

"Thank you."

Castiel could feel Balthazar shrug. "That's what I'm here for, love."

"I meant for everything."

"I know."

"I just wish I could return the favor."

"You already have. In more ways than one, I might add with a touch of embarrassment."

Castiel realized Balthazar was no longer hard against his backside. "Oh." He smiled, then remembered something that made him frown. "The Winchesters need me."

"They always do. Go to them. If you need me again I'll be here."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

With one last kiss, Castiel disappeared from the bath in a flutter of wingbeats, leaving Balthazar to marvel at miracles, and pray for more still.


End file.
